No. 3 Columbine football stays perfect with win over No. 7 Ralston Valley
ARVADA — Columbine rushed its way to an impressive victory in a Class 5A top-10 football showdown against Ralston Valley on Thursday night.
The North Area Athletic Complex was the site of the 5A Metro West League game between a pair of teams ranked in the current CHSAANow.com 5A poll — No. 3 Columbine and No. 7 Ralston Valley. The Rebels rushed for four touchdowns in a 29-14 win to stay undefeated on the season.
“Our kids played hard and physical,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said. “They made the plays, so I’m proud of our guys.”
Columbine junior running backs Braeden Hogan, Tanner Hollens and Adam Harrington all had a first-half touchdown each as the Rebels sprinted out to a 22-0 halftime lead. Columbine (8-0, 3-0 in league) scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives.
“It’s nice. You trust all those guys with the ball,” Columbine senior quarterback Logan DeArment said of the Rebels’ Triple-H running backs — Hollens, Harrington and Hogan. “If we are carrying out our fakes that sets up everything.”
Hollens barreled into the end zone early in the fourth quarter for his second touchdown, giving the Rebels a 29-0 lead.
“I think we played lights out,” Columbine senior linebacker Corbin Curry said of the Rebels shutting out Ralston Valley through three quarters. “A lot of dudes making a lot of plays. That’s what we are going to need the rest of the year.”
Ralston Valley did prevent a shutout with a nice drive in the fourth quarter. Senior Nick Pastore scored from 1-yard out to get the Mustangs (6-2, 2-1) on the board. Junior quarterback Walker Brickle hit junior Ben Takata for a 37-yard touchdown in the final minutes for another Mustang score.
However, it was took little too late for Ralston Valley.
Ralston Valley is on the road next week at Jeffco Stadium. The Mustangs face Lakewood (3-4, 0-2) on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Columbine has another tough test next week. The Rebels host defending 5A state champion and No. 5 Pomona (5-2, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at Jeffco Stadium.
It will actually be the first meeting between Columbine and Pomona since the Panthers defeated the Rebels 42-21 in the second round of the 2016 state playoffs.
“I’ve been looking forward to this game for a long time,” DeArment said of facing Pomona next week. “It will be two powerhouses going at it. It’s going to be fun for sure.”
Columbine’s defense will have a tough test against the dangerous Panthers’ offense, but the Rebels come in with plenty of confidence having held every opponent under 20 points this season.
“It’s on next week,” Curry said of the match-up with Pomona. “It’s going to take a long week of hard work and being on point when we come out.”
